Multicore Binding: Line Trial

Specify multicore binding tape by core and trial. Suitable fillers must first occupy the interstices; the binder then stabilizes that geometry for handling, screening, bedding or sheathing. Approval should combine grade data with a controlled line trial—tape alone does not create roundness.

Conceptual process visualization; not a Chaowang production photograph.

How Non Woven Binding Tape for Power Cable Supports the Laid-Up Core

A multi-core cable contains spaces between the insulated conductors. Filler size and placement help turn that assembly into a compact, approximately circular core; the binding layer retains the conductors and fillers as the core travels to its next operation. The two functions are related but not interchangeable.

Current commercial constructions demonstrate this relationship. Prysmian’s CUBOND control-cable construction describes conductors cabled with non-hygroscopic fillers to form a round, compact core and then wrapped with a polyester-tape binder. A Nexans CORFLEX construction likewise shows fillers in the interstices and a synthetic binder holding an essentially round configuration.

These examples establish layer roles, not a universal tape grade, overlap or tension. Conductor count, insulation diameter, lay length, filler geometry, flexibility target and downstream layers vary by cable design. The approved drawing and applicable cable specification remain the starting point.

Match CW-1 Grade Data to Core Build and Process Load

Jiangsu Chaowang New Material describes CW-1 non-woven binding tape for cable cores as polyester fiber and adhesive. Its public table lists complete grades from CW-1-20 through CW-1-80. Across that family, published thickness increases from 0.14±0.03 to 0.31±0.04 mm, while minimum tensile strength ranges from 15 to 60 N/cm. Each row is one grade; never combine the thickness of one row with the strength of another.

The heaviest grade is not automatically the best choice. More material can increase radial build or the local ridge at an overlap, while an underspecified grade may not tolerate the actual web path and process load. Compare grade-specific mass, thickness, tensile strength and elongation, then add converted-roll requirements such as width, core inside diameter, roll outside diameter, winding format and permitted joints.

Conceptual close-up; not a CW-1 product specification or inspection record.

Keep material functions separate. A binding grade does not automatically provide water swelling or a controlled electrical classification. If the drawing calls for longitudinal water control, review a dedicated family such as CW-5 non-woven water-blocking tape. If electrical resistance is specified, request the relevant value and test method because the public CW-1 table does not publish resistance data. The wider Chaowang non-woven cable tape range helps buyers compare functional families without treating them as substitutes.

Check Core Roundness and Sheath Readiness on the Line

A line trial should preserve the approved conductor and filler arrangement before changing tape settings. Record the starting cable design, incoming core diameter, tape grade and width, roll geometry, wrapping direction, line speed and machine setting. Then examine startup, steady running, acceleration and reel transitions rather than judging only one stable sample.

1. Inspect before binding. Confirm conductor lay, filler position, protrusions, core vibration and diameter variation.
2. Observe the tape path. Check unwind, tracking, flat entry, edge condition, overlap consistency and web damage.
3. Measure the bound core. Record diameter at several orientations and locations; look for lobes, loose fillers, ridges and local compression.
4. Check the next layer. Inspect bedding, screening or sheath surfaces for print-through, displacement and stripping or access problems.
5. Retain evidence. Save settings, sample lengths, measurements and photographs for repeatable approval.

Conceptual trial scene; not a Chaowang test record or pass result.

There is no responsible universal overlap, tension or line-speed setting. Use the machine maker’s safe operating guidance and the cable maker’s approved starting window, then qualify the complete construction. IEC 60502-1:2021, for example, addresses construction, dimensions and tests for specified extruded-insulation power cables; a material datasheet alone cannot establish finished-cable compliance.

Build a Purchase and Approval Record for the Exact Cable

• Cable inputs: conductor count, insulation diameters, lay geometry, filler material and target core diameter.
• Layer duty: binding, separation or bedding, plus adjacent layers and permitted radial build.
• Material data: exact CW-1 grade, applicable property limits and test methods.
• Roll data: width and tolerance, core ID, maximum OD or length, winding direction, splice policy and packaging.
• Trial evidence: recorded settings, measured roundness, visual criteria and downstream observations.

Use the existing binding-tape selection and line-trial checklist for the general qualification workflow. If wrinkles, breaks or loose wrapping already occur, move to the separate binding-tape troubleshooting guide instead of changing filler placement, tape grade and machine settings together.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does binding tape make a multi-core cable round?

Binding tape helps retain an already designed core, but it cannot reliably correct missing or poorly positioned fillers. Roundness starts with conductor arrangement, lay geometry and filler selection. The bound core should be measured before and after the next layer so a smooth appearance at the taping head is not mistaken for stable construction.

How is non woven binding tape different from cable filler?

Filler occupies interstitial spaces between insulated conductors and supports the intended core profile. Binding tape surrounds the assembled conductors and fillers to keep them together during later processing. They work as a system, but adding tape tension is not a safe substitute for correcting filler size, count or position.

Which CW-1 grade is suitable for a multi-core power cable?

No single CW-1 grade fits every construction. Shortlist a complete grade row by thickness, tensile strength, elongation and allowed radial build, then confirm converted-roll dimensions. The cable drawing, current datasheet and representative line trial should govern approval; request a sample when any property or method remains unclear.

Can CW-1 be called a verified non-conductive tape?

Not from the currently published property table alone. It supplies physical values but no electrical-resistance result. Describe CW-1 as a polyester-fiber binding tape unless project-specific electrical data supports an additional classification. Where electrical performance matters, identify the required parameter, unit, limit and test method in the purchase specification.

What overlap and tension should be used?

There is no universal setting. Tape width, core diameter, wrapping angle, grade behavior, machine design and line speed all influence coverage and load. Start from the controlled cable process, change one variable at a time, and approve a window only after checking overlap, roundness, filler retention and downstream sheath results.

What should be sent with a sample request?

Send the multi-core cross-section, conductor and filler arrangement, target diameter, tape position, preferred width, roll ID and OD, winding direction, line-speed range and required test methods. Also describe the downstream bedding, screen or sheath and the inspection criteria that will be used during the production trial.

For a project-specific non woven binding tape for power cable review, send Jiangsu Chaowang New Material the multi-core drawing, filler arrangement, required CW-1 property range, converted-roll dimensions and planned line-trial conditions. Request the current datasheet and a representative sample before production approval.